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          My education at Goshen Public High School influenced my estimation of the cumulative AIDS cases in my area.  In high school, we were required to take two classes in order to graduate.  Unlike most students, I couldn’t fit the second class in my schedule; therefore I took the class as an outside study.  Nevertheless, the second class influenced my guesses the most because it primarily covered sexual education.  Obviously, I never was able to be present in the class, but my friends told me that it was a liberal discussion based class.  The teacher encouraged discussion about various subjects, and coordinated games to go along with her lesson plan.  For instance, condom volley ball was always a Goshen High School health legend.  Our health teacher was very passionate about AIDS Awareness because her son died of AIDS.  For class, we were required to watch an informational movie about AIDS, and write a paper based on it.  This health class wasn’t the most challenging or demanding class, but it required students to learn about their sexual education.

            Although I did not take health class, I was very close with my health teacher.  Both of us were active participants of our school’s Students Against Destructive Decisions Chapter because she was the advisor, and I was a cabinet member.  Although it wasn’t the emphasis, we did a number of fundraisers involving HIV/AIDS.  For example, we held a cell phone drive for a Battered Woman Shelter in Newburgh.  Many of the residents of the shelter were victims of HIV.  Our school did not have a HIV/AIDS awareness group, but many high school organizations did include programs to help institutions who facilitated to these victims.  I think my participation in SADD and sexual health education influenced my guesses regarding AIDS in my area.